Forum Sentry Hardware RMA Checklist

With the Forum Sentry hardware (physical appliance) form factor, in the rare event that administrators are unable to access the Sentry interfaces, the following checklist should be used to determine if RMA is the appropriate course of action. Feedback on all of these items is required before Forum Systems Support can issue an RMA.

1. Open a new Helpdesk ticket at https://helpdesk.forumsys.com to report the problem to Forum Systems Support. Include the following information:

a. Serial Number of device (check stickers on device if there is no admin access)

b. Sentry version running on device

c. Full company and contact details

2. Attempt to access all Sentry interfaces and record the results in the Helpdesk ticket. This includes:

a. WebAdmin (via Web Browser)

b. CLI via SSH

c. CLI via Serial Console (physical connection)

3. If there is no CLI access via Serial Console, use the same Serial Console settings and same serial cable to connect to a functioning Sentry appliance. Does the CLI come up on that system? If the CLI comes up via Serial Console on the problematic device, but there is no network connectivity to the device, see FAQ: Sentry WebAdmin and CLI are Inaccessible

4. Record the status indicator lights on the appliance. Are they solid, blinking? What are the colors? Phone pictures and/or video are recommended.

5. If there is no access to the CLI via Serial Console, manually power cycle the device. Wait 30 minutes and check the CLI via Serial Console again. Prior to any manual reboot ensure Forum Systems Support is aware of the issue. Forum Systems Support may want to troubleshoot the issue remotely prior to any manual reboot.

6. Forum Systems Support will determine if an RMA is required. Forum Systems determines the type of RMA based on a variety of criteria. If an RMA is issued, please provide Forum Systems Support with ALL of the following information: